The invention relates generally to portable computer systems, and more particularly to hinge assemblies for portable computers.
Computer users generally desire to view the output of a computer on a large display. Thus, one disadvantage of using a portable computer is that the display may have an undesirably small size. To remedy this problem, portable computer manufacturers continually strive to incorporate larger displays in portable computers. A display for a portable computer is typically part of a display unit, a unit that may be designed to fold down to rest on top of a base unit of the computer. For aesthetic purposes, the size of the display unit is generally limited to the dimensions of the base unit. Therefore, portable computer manufacturers attempt to maximize the space available for the display in the display unit. A conventional portable computer may include a hinge assembly that couples the display and base units together. Unfortunately, the hinge assembly may displace a substantial space in the display unit that the display may otherwise occupy.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a hinge assembly for a portable computer that consumes less space in the display unit.